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Rescues #2
Diamond Bay
An intricate and emotional tale from this best-selling author -
Rachel Jones wasn't looking for trouble, much less a man, but in Kell Sabin she found both. On a hot summer’s night Kell is washed up – barely alive – on a Florida beach and into Rachel’s life. Their love blossoms as he recovers from his injuries. But by falling in love with Kell, Rachel has put her own life in danger from the forces that want him dead. Once fate has bought them together, can they learn to live apart?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1987
343 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
223 books7,169 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
May 31, 2015
I liked this one. We met Kell Sabin in a previous book and he was quite the mysterious character.
Met Grant and Jane from the previous book. Ok, you have to suspend the disbelief a little bit ...
Rachel Jones wasn't looking for trouble, much less a man, but in Kell Sabin she found both. On a hot summer's night Kell is washed up - barely alive - on a Florida beach and into Rachel's life. Her instincts tell her to help him, and their love blossoms as he recovers from his injuries. But by falling in love with Kell, Rachel has put her own life in danger from the forces that want him dead. Once fate has brought them together, can they learn to live apart?
American. She wondered at the heritage that had given him his dark colouring. Italian or Arabic, Hungarian or American indian, maybe even Black Irish?
Slowly he slid down the zipper of his jeans, the denim spreading open in a vee to reveal bronzed skin and the vertical line of downy hair that arrowed down his lower abdomen into the thicker growth of hair just visible in his opened pants ...
Met Grant and Jane from the previous book. Ok, you have to suspend the disbelief a little bit ...
August 21, 2020
*Spoiler*
Everything was fine until, Sabin, the H, woke up then it all devolved into insta-lust with him "gripping her arms to shake some sense into her" (leaving bruises, btw); after which he and Rachel would have cringe-worthy, absolutely mechanical sort of sex where his snake loins would surge into her warm pits all while Sabin demanded she
"take it all, all of me, you're mine, you're mine, you're mine..."
May 15, 2017
Exciting. Hard to put down. Great fun. Neat characters. I loved the part Joe the dog played.
I suggest reading the physical book. Don’t buy the audiobook unless they redo it with a different narrator.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
I hated the narrator. Brenda Sweeney sounded like a little old lady prudish retired school teacher. The way she interpreted phrases was soooo off. Normal adult conversation would not sound that way. For example, one guy asks Jane if she will stay at the hospital to watch over the patient. A normal adult answer would be to say “of course” in a matter of fact way. The narrator said it using a high pitched voice - long and drawn out - southern style like it’s so obvious don’t even ask. Another example: Kell asks Rachel how she lifted him onto the bed. She said “the vet” meaning the vet helped her. But this narrator said “the vet” in a very high pitched voice and long and drawn out - like it’s obvious, you should know the answer, why are you asking me? I don’t know if I’m explaining this well, but it was ICK. It did not sound normal or natural for 30-year-old adults. The narrator made the hero sound like a school teacher, not the alpha male. Same goes for sex scenes. This little old lady narrator does not fit.
THE STORY:
The plot involved CIA type agents and a woman who used to work as an investigative reporter. Feel good ending.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 244 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: eight. Setting: current day Gainesville, Florida. Copyright: 1987. Genre: contemporary romantic suspense.
I suggest reading the physical book. Don’t buy the audiobook unless they redo it with a different narrator.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
I hated the narrator. Brenda Sweeney sounded like a little old lady prudish retired school teacher. The way she interpreted phrases was soooo off. Normal adult conversation would not sound that way. For example, one guy asks Jane if she will stay at the hospital to watch over the patient. A normal adult answer would be to say “of course” in a matter of fact way. The narrator said it using a high pitched voice - long and drawn out - southern style like it’s so obvious don’t even ask. Another example: Kell asks Rachel how she lifted him onto the bed. She said “the vet” meaning the vet helped her. But this narrator said “the vet” in a very high pitched voice and long and drawn out - like it’s obvious, you should know the answer, why are you asking me? I don’t know if I’m explaining this well, but it was ICK. It did not sound normal or natural for 30-year-old adults. The narrator made the hero sound like a school teacher, not the alpha male. Same goes for sex scenes. This little old lady narrator does not fit.
THE STORY:
The plot involved CIA type agents and a woman who used to work as an investigative reporter. Feel good ending.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 244 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: eight. Setting: current day Gainesville, Florida. Copyright: 1987. Genre: contemporary romantic suspense.
August 11, 2011
Kell Sabin is a legend in the shadowy world of intelligence and is a prime target, while on a vacation he senses danger and is attacked, getting shot and his boat bombed but he's tough and despite his injuries manages to swim a bit in the water.
Rachel Jones left her investigative journalist career when she lost her husband and moved to Diamond bay where she grew up and was the happiest, she runs two shops and writes. While walking on the beach, she sees something and finds an injured man with a weak pulse, she thinks of calling the paramedics but for some reason doesn't and then with a lot of pain manages to drag him to her house with the the help of Joe(a feral and protective dog).
Rachel due to her husband and former career has some understanding about men who live in the shadows and thinks the unknown man is one of them, she takes care of him with help from a friend, nursing him.
I enjoyed the book quite a lot, like all LH books the hero has instant lust and can't keep his hands of the heroine. Rachel falls for him fairly early, it is Kell who is difficult. He has always led a solitary life even when he was married and doesn't know how to let people in but Rachel just sneaks in, but the nature of his job makes him unwilling to put Rachel at risk even if he has to walk away from her.
I enjoyed the glimpses we get of Jane and Grant and I really liked that Rachel was one of those women who could take care of herself and the book is very sensuous as all LH are.
Rachel Jones left her investigative journalist career when she lost her husband and moved to Diamond bay where she grew up and was the happiest, she runs two shops and writes. While walking on the beach, she sees something and finds an injured man with a weak pulse, she thinks of calling the paramedics but for some reason doesn't and then with a lot of pain manages to drag him to her house with the the help of Joe(a feral and protective dog).
Rachel due to her husband and former career has some understanding about men who live in the shadows and thinks the unknown man is one of them, she takes care of him with help from a friend, nursing him.
I enjoyed the book quite a lot, like all LH books the hero has instant lust and can't keep his hands of the heroine. Rachel falls for him fairly early, it is Kell who is difficult. He has always led a solitary life even when he was married and doesn't know how to let people in but Rachel just sneaks in, but the nature of his job makes him unwilling to put Rachel at risk even if he has to walk away from her.
I enjoyed the glimpses we get of Jane and Grant and I really liked that Rachel was one of those women who could take care of herself and the book is very sensuous as all LH are.
March 1, 2014
5 SHINY, VINTAGE-MILITARY-ROMANCE-THRILLER GOLD STARS!
After reading this story I was kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
This is another fantastic story by Linda Howard!
Her characters are the Original bad-ass-uber-alpha-males, and Kell Sabin is no exception.
I LOVED him!
(Kell reminds me so much of John Madea from All the Queen's Men.. which I now want to re-read!)
Kell is such a lone wolf. He is so used to protecting everyone, keeping dangerous secrets, and working alone because of the danger of his job that he lets absolutely NO ONE into life or his heart.
It takes someone as sassy and smart as Rachel to break through his hard shell to get to the 'guts' of who he really is.
When they finally give into their attraction for one another it's
.. the only problem is that they both know that Kell will eventually leave her.
Even though he loves her (and she's the only person he's ever loved)
he will NEVER stay with her because of how dangerous his job is.
If anything were to happen to Rachel because of him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.
When danger knocks on Rachel's door, it is further proof that he cannot be apart of Rachel's life.
..except their both dying inside
The story was amazing, and the characters were wonderful to read.
I loved the appearance of Grant and Jane... oh, how I missed Jane's sassy kick-ass character!
The ending was great, but the epilogue was FANTASTIC!!
If you haven't read anything by Linda Howard, START NOW!
It's my opinion that her earlier work (late 80's-early 90's) is the best!
You won't be disappointed! :)
June 21, 2016
No me gusto nada, no parece escrito por Linda Howard. Rachel es una mujer sola que se encuentra un hombre herido y lo lleva a su casa. Él hombre se pasa casi todo el libro desnudo. Cuando despierta la mitad del libro parece un animal en celo y un macho alfa... Y ella hace poco mas de 2 semanas que lo conoce a las cual llevaba 1 semana inconsciente, ya quiere un hijo suyo y dice que lo ama desde que lo encontró en la playa....
Según leía me daba urticaria...
Según leía me daba urticaria...
December 15, 2025
Not as good as others
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The banter didn't banter that much
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The chemistry was more of a simmer than a sizzle
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The plot was more warm up action than full work out action
Yet~
I still finished it. I still had a smile at the end. It's just that by Linda Howard standards, it was less than what I've come to expect~
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The banter didn't banter that much
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The chemistry was more of a simmer than a sizzle
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ ➵ The plot was more warm up action than full work out action
Yet~
I still finished it. I still had a smile at the end. It's just that by Linda Howard standards, it was less than what I've come to expect~
・
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
June 4, 2020
3.5 stars.
I probably give four stars, if I read it five years ago.
It’s a good oldie! 😘
I managed to finish Ms. Howard’s book, while I couldn’t even pass three chapters of many new author’s latest books. 🤷♀️
On to Rescues, #3.
I probably give four stars, if I read it five years ago.
It’s a good oldie! 😘
I managed to finish Ms. Howard’s book, while I couldn’t even pass three chapters of many new author’s latest books. 🤷♀️
On to Rescues, #3.
December 13, 2017
Classic Linda Howard. So glad I finally read this one. It reminds me why I love her so much. She was a pioneer of the gentle alpha/gamma hero and will always be a favorite.
March 2, 2010
One of my favorite re-reads, Diamond Bay has everything I adore. An uber-alpha hero who isn't a jerk, a direct, intelligent heroine who doesn't have to tell us she's smart and strong because she shows it in everything she does and their gut wrenching romantic story.
Rachel is satisfied with the peaceful life she's made in Diamond Bay on the gulf coast of Florida. She spends her days with her boisterous pets, gardening and doing her chores and she makes a good living writing and owning two souvenir shops. But her quiet life is shattered when Kell Sabin washes up on the shores of Diamond Bay, shot and unconscious.
A woman who knows how to get things done, she almost kills herself dragging him back to her house, because her instincts tell her he needs protected. She of course makes the right decision because Kell is a super-secret agent for the American Government who lives a solitary life of danger and intrigue.
When Kell wakes up, he find himself well taken care of and safely tucked away in a secluded house off the Bay he dove into after being shot at. He's momentarily confused, because he knows someone is trying to kill him, but he has no idea how he got to safety. Who is holding him prisoner?
After shopping to buy things for her unexpected patient, Rachel arrives home to a fully conscious man. When she realizes who the man is holding a knife to her throat from behind, she's both relieved and frightened. Calmly she informs him she is no threat to him and that he is on the mend.
The overly cautious Sabin doesn't know if he should trust the startling woman before him, but, in his weakened condition, he has no other choice. As he allows himself to be cared for, he realizes there is a strange attraction between them. Strange because he's feels he knows her even though he's been unconscious for the last three days.
As for Rachel, she's already fallen for the dark stranger who washed into her life so suddenly, and there is nothing she won't do to keep him safe from those who mean to harm him.
Kell doesn't like the way she puts herself in danger when the very man whom he suspects took part in engineering the attempt on his life shows up at her house. He doesn't like it all. But her help is invaluable and when he calls in a trusted friend to aid him in snaring the double agent, he knows he has to get away from the woman who not only saved his life, but is about to steal his heart. He, of course, needs to for her own good- for if his enemies discover that he would sell his soul to keep her safe, he would place her and his governments' secrets in the gravest of dangers.
Rachel isn't gonna make it easy for him to just walk away, but when his greatest fear is realized, walk away he does.
What kind of life can someone lead when they are forced to live apart from their love of a lifetime?
You'll have to read to find out!
This steamy one-time category romance from the 80's still tops my list as my most romantic, comfort read of all time- even all these years later!
Rachel is satisfied with the peaceful life she's made in Diamond Bay on the gulf coast of Florida. She spends her days with her boisterous pets, gardening and doing her chores and she makes a good living writing and owning two souvenir shops. But her quiet life is shattered when Kell Sabin washes up on the shores of Diamond Bay, shot and unconscious.
A woman who knows how to get things done, she almost kills herself dragging him back to her house, because her instincts tell her he needs protected. She of course makes the right decision because Kell is a super-secret agent for the American Government who lives a solitary life of danger and intrigue.
When Kell wakes up, he find himself well taken care of and safely tucked away in a secluded house off the Bay he dove into after being shot at. He's momentarily confused, because he knows someone is trying to kill him, but he has no idea how he got to safety. Who is holding him prisoner?
After shopping to buy things for her unexpected patient, Rachel arrives home to a fully conscious man. When she realizes who the man is holding a knife to her throat from behind, she's both relieved and frightened. Calmly she informs him she is no threat to him and that he is on the mend.
The overly cautious Sabin doesn't know if he should trust the startling woman before him, but, in his weakened condition, he has no other choice. As he allows himself to be cared for, he realizes there is a strange attraction between them. Strange because he's feels he knows her even though he's been unconscious for the last three days.
As for Rachel, she's already fallen for the dark stranger who washed into her life so suddenly, and there is nothing she won't do to keep him safe from those who mean to harm him.
Kell doesn't like the way she puts herself in danger when the very man whom he suspects took part in engineering the attempt on his life shows up at her house. He doesn't like it all. But her help is invaluable and when he calls in a trusted friend to aid him in snaring the double agent, he knows he has to get away from the woman who not only saved his life, but is about to steal his heart. He, of course, needs to for her own good- for if his enemies discover that he would sell his soul to keep her safe, he would place her and his governments' secrets in the gravest of dangers.
Rachel isn't gonna make it easy for him to just walk away, but when his greatest fear is realized, walk away he does.
What kind of life can someone lead when they are forced to live apart from their love of a lifetime?
You'll have to read to find out!
This steamy one-time category romance from the 80's still tops my list as my most romantic, comfort read of all time- even all these years later!
July 25, 2011
Linda Howard's Kell Sabin series remains my favorite of her books to date. Midnight Rainbow is my favorite jungle romance, and Diamond Bay is my favorite "nursed back to health" romance.
Kell Sabin is the stuff that my dreams are made of. He is secretive, smart, and sexy as all get out! He is shot, finds a way to escape, and washes up on shore barely alive. Rachel finds him, nurses him back to health, and keeps him safe. This is the plot in a nutshell, but there is so much more to this book than that!
I love a romance where the hero/heroine are in close contact for much of the book, and in Diamond Bay they are definitely in close contact for most of the book! The chemistry between these characters was off the charts and I loved watching the hard-nosed Kell Sabin fall hopelessly in love.
The action in this book is riveting and the sensuality is scorching. I read this years ago and still pull it out whenever I need a "sure thing". This entire series is awesome and will not disappoint!
Kell Sabin is the stuff that my dreams are made of. He is secretive, smart, and sexy as all get out! He is shot, finds a way to escape, and washes up on shore barely alive. Rachel finds him, nurses him back to health, and keeps him safe. This is the plot in a nutshell, but there is so much more to this book than that!
I love a romance where the hero/heroine are in close contact for much of the book, and in Diamond Bay they are definitely in close contact for most of the book! The chemistry between these characters was off the charts and I loved watching the hard-nosed Kell Sabin fall hopelessly in love.
The action in this book is riveting and the sensuality is scorching. I read this years ago and still pull it out whenever I need a "sure thing". This entire series is awesome and will not disappoint!
November 28, 2017
One of L.H.'s old Silhouette titles. I enjoyed it. It's fairly light, considering some of the manly bad behavior in other early L.H. novels. The hero did not try to ruin the woman's career/hide her child from her/have her arrested/force her to the sell the family home/etc. I love that crap, myself.
Kel Sabin is the mysterious head of the cloak and dagger outfit the hero in book #1 retired from. He's badass and lots of baddies want him dead. Unfortunately some of those baddies are supposed to be on his side. When he is attacked and left for dead, he can't be sure who to trust.
The heroine, Rachel, is an ex-investigative reporter turned writer whose husband was murdered because of an investigation she was running. She knows there are shady, shady characters out there and certain clues tell her journalist self this isn't a normal crime. She decides to take care of the hero until he is awake and able to defend himself.
The hero is unconscious and being sponged for at least a 1/3 of the story... seemed like it anyway, but could have something to do with the audio. Let's just say the hero really enjoys his sponging, even if he isn't exactly conscious of it.
The heroine is likeable, the hero is hot in his alpha-super-spy way, and the dog is awesome. There is also an appearance by the h/H from book 1. The speaking voices for the heroines took a bit of getting used to. At least this heroine didn't sound as Marilyn Monroesque air-headed as the heroine from book #1 did. The narrator has a fine inner narrative voice for the heroine, she should have stuck with that.
Kel Sabin is the mysterious head of the cloak and dagger outfit the hero in book #1 retired from. He's badass and lots of baddies want him dead. Unfortunately some of those baddies are supposed to be on his side. When he is attacked and left for dead, he can't be sure who to trust.
The heroine, Rachel, is an ex-investigative reporter turned writer whose husband was murdered because of an investigation she was running. She knows there are shady, shady characters out there and certain clues tell her journalist self this isn't a normal crime. She decides to take care of the hero until he is awake and able to defend himself.
The hero is unconscious and being sponged for at least a 1/3 of the story... seemed like it anyway, but could have something to do with the audio. Let's just say the hero really enjoys his sponging, even if he isn't exactly conscious of it.
The heroine is likeable, the hero is hot in his alpha-super-spy way, and the dog is awesome. There is also an appearance by the h/H from book 1. The speaking voices for the heroines took a bit of getting used to. At least this heroine didn't sound as Marilyn Monroesque air-headed as the heroine from book #1 did. The narrator has a fine inner narrative voice for the heroine, she should have stuck with that.
April 25, 2017
DNF @ 15%
I just can't with the heroine. She found a naked stranger unconscious (with 2 bullet holes in him) on her private beach and decided to tend to his gun shot wound herself and not to call the police. Because by looking at the injuries alone she can tell that the man was a secret agent. And apparently it was better that he went into a coma in her bed than him being offed in a hospital bed by some corrupted cops.
I could not get pass the ridiculousness of her thinking. I am throwing in the towel. Why torture myself.
I just can't with the heroine. She found a naked stranger unconscious (with 2 bullet holes in him) on her private beach and decided to tend to his gun shot wound herself and not to call the police. Because by looking at the injuries alone she can tell that the man was a secret agent. And apparently it was better that he went into a coma in her bed than him being offed in a hospital bed by some corrupted cops.
I could not get pass the ridiculousness of her thinking. I am throwing in the towel. Why torture myself.
January 27, 2014
3.5 stars? I did enjoy this one even though I liked White Lies much better. Digging this series by Linda Howard.
September 6, 2019
This was good. I liked the characters and it had some exciting moments. I just wanted more of them as a couple. I didn’t feel like the hero wanted the heroine enough so the romance wasn’t as good as I expecting.
September 9, 2019
Audiobook: Narrator - Brenda Sweeney
I enjoyed most of the narration of this book with the exception of some of the narrator’s interpretation of the heroine’s voice. Her choices in how the heroine might say a line, that left no clue as to what the character was feeling, often left me disappointed in her performance. I felt she was leading me down the wrong path of what the character was truly experiencing and taking my own thoughts away from me. Despite that, I loved her performance of the hero as well as a couple of important secondary characters. Enough that I immediately went back and picked up her audio of their story.
This is a steamy, romantic thriller that kept me engaged from the very beginning.
I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed this author’s writing and exactly why I started reading her to begin with. Rachel was fierce and independent but knew what she wanted. Unfortunately, just because she wants Kell doesn’t mean she’ll have him. He lives a life that puts those around him at risk and he refuses to do so to Rachel.
I loved the bit of push and pull between these two because they each had great arguments for doing so. I wondered how they’d ever work it out. There is a lot of action and drama from outside sources and a wonderful visit from Grant and Jane from Midnight Rainbow. Every one of these characters are very well developed within an intriguing case that defines danger.
This is classic Howard and I loved listening to it!
Listened via Audible Escape
Dual POV - although difficult to discern when the view point changed during the audio
Safe
Triggers
I enjoyed most of the narration of this book with the exception of some of the narrator’s interpretation of the heroine’s voice. Her choices in how the heroine might say a line, that left no clue as to what the character was feeling, often left me disappointed in her performance. I felt she was leading me down the wrong path of what the character was truly experiencing and taking my own thoughts away from me. Despite that, I loved her performance of the hero as well as a couple of important secondary characters. Enough that I immediately went back and picked up her audio of their story.
This is a steamy, romantic thriller that kept me engaged from the very beginning.
I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed this author’s writing and exactly why I started reading her to begin with. Rachel was fierce and independent but knew what she wanted. Unfortunately, just because she wants Kell doesn’t mean she’ll have him. He lives a life that puts those around him at risk and he refuses to do so to Rachel.
I loved the bit of push and pull between these two because they each had great arguments for doing so. I wondered how they’d ever work it out. There is a lot of action and drama from outside sources and a wonderful visit from Grant and Jane from Midnight Rainbow. Every one of these characters are very well developed within an intriguing case that defines danger.
This is classic Howard and I loved listening to it!
Listened via Audible Escape
Dual POV - although difficult to discern when the view point changed during the audio
Safe
Triggers
September 14, 2015
Overall rating: 4.75 stars!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate Pasts:
Push/pull:
OW/OM drama:
HEA:
My review:
I also enjoyed the premise of this book. I actually started with White Lies and am working my way backwards. I skipped book 3 simply because I heard the hero is a huge dick, and LH's heroes are already kind of dickish (but totally redeemable) so I figured I'd stick with the ones that I KNOW are redeemable for now.
A big plus for this one was that the heroine's name was Rachel ... what a fabulous name if I do say so myself! Reading this book has me curious to read Grant and Jane's book :) Jane is kickass!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate Pasts:
Push/pull:
OW/OM drama:
HEA:
My review:
I also enjoyed the premise of this book. I actually started with White Lies and am working my way backwards. I skipped book 3 simply because I heard the hero is a huge dick, and LH's heroes are already kind of dickish (but totally redeemable) so I figured I'd stick with the ones that I KNOW are redeemable for now.
A big plus for this one was that the heroine's name was Rachel ... what a fabulous name if I do say so myself! Reading this book has me curious to read Grant and Jane's book :) Jane is kickass!
January 29, 2020
The waves would wash him toward the beach. She turned and staggered back toward shore, and two seconds later her hand closed on thick hair. Fiercely she jerked his head above the water, but he was limp, his eyes closed.
"Don't you die on me!" she ordered between clenched teeth, catching him under the shoulders and towing him in.
Kell Sabin washes up on an isolated shore off the Florida Coast after being the victim of an assassination attempt by an international terrorist organization. Rachel Jones finds him steps from her beach front cottage and proceeds to nurse him back to health in private, without alerting the authorities.
When he regains consciousness, Sabin is loath to answer her questions. As far as he is concerned, the less she knows, the better, and the quicker he gets out of here (despite his growing attraction to her), the less danger she will be placed in by his pursuers. But Rachel has other ideas and she is not going to let him get away with pushing her aside.
One thing Linda Howard does oh so well is the quick, sharp, humorous banter and there were loads of it here.
"Call me 'Joe'." He drawled.
"I can't do that," she replied. "'Joe is what I call the dog, because he wouldn't tell me his name, either. Make up another one."
The protagonists were both interesting, likable and definitely had chemistry with each other. LH always writes the best love scenes and she delivered on this front.
Plus, there was a third character that was just as interesting if not more endearing, which was Joe, the once-abused guard dog that Rachel rescued. I lost my heart to him.
With all this, why only a three star "meh" rating?
Too many plot holes, buffoonish villains, and a disappointing ending. There is only so much push and pull I can take. Here, the whole "If you really love her, you will set her free, for her own good" attitude from the hero was unromantic imho. I want my heroes to be all "mine, mine, mine" and go after their lady love because, despite the good, bad, and ugly, they just can't live without each other.
Don't let that deter you from trying Diamond Bay though. I think fans of Linda Howard, and of romantic suspense, would find it an entertaining afternoon read.
"Don't you die on me!" she ordered between clenched teeth, catching him under the shoulders and towing him in.
Kell Sabin washes up on an isolated shore off the Florida Coast after being the victim of an assassination attempt by an international terrorist organization. Rachel Jones finds him steps from her beach front cottage and proceeds to nurse him back to health in private, without alerting the authorities.
When he regains consciousness, Sabin is loath to answer her questions. As far as he is concerned, the less she knows, the better, and the quicker he gets out of here (despite his growing attraction to her), the less danger she will be placed in by his pursuers. But Rachel has other ideas and she is not going to let him get away with pushing her aside.
One thing Linda Howard does oh so well is the quick, sharp, humorous banter and there were loads of it here.
"Call me 'Joe'." He drawled.
"I can't do that," she replied. "'Joe is what I call the dog, because he wouldn't tell me his name, either. Make up another one."
The protagonists were both interesting, likable and definitely had chemistry with each other. LH always writes the best love scenes and she delivered on this front.
Plus, there was a third character that was just as interesting if not more endearing, which was Joe, the once-abused guard dog that Rachel rescued. I lost my heart to him.
With all this, why only a three star "meh" rating?
Too many plot holes, buffoonish villains, and a disappointing ending. There is only so much push and pull I can take. Here, the whole "If you really love her, you will set her free, for her own good" attitude from the hero was unromantic imho. I want my heroes to be all "mine, mine, mine" and go after their lady love because, despite the good, bad, and ugly, they just can't live without each other.
Don't let that deter you from trying Diamond Bay though. I think fans of Linda Howard, and of romantic suspense, would find it an entertaining afternoon read.
June 11, 2022
A solid middle of the road read by LH, which still makes it better than most.
The couple from the first book show up towards the end and there's a lovely epilogue.
Kell is attacked and washes up on the shore near Rachel's house in the middle of nowhere. But he doesn't have amnesia... he just has a lot of secrets.
Rachel decides not to contact the authorities because she has a 'feeling'... so there's silly reasoning like that to explain away gaps in logic. But I was ok with that.
Anyways the story is simple and honestly it was even a little too simple. And the romance was too insta with the only problem being Kell's stubborn need to keep her safe. I loved her telling him off when he finally comes for her at the end.
But it's a Linda Howard story and flows well and keeps your interest.
My favourite character was her half feral dog; Joe.
Safety is good
The couple from the first book show up towards the end and there's a lovely epilogue.
Kell is attacked and washes up on the shore near Rachel's house in the middle of nowhere. But he doesn't have amnesia... he just has a lot of secrets.
Rachel decides not to contact the authorities because she has a 'feeling'... so there's silly reasoning like that to explain away gaps in logic. But I was ok with that.
Anyways the story is simple and honestly it was even a little too simple. And the romance was too insta with the only problem being Kell's stubborn need to keep her safe. I loved her telling him off when he finally comes for her at the end.
But it's a Linda Howard story and flows well and keeps your interest.
My favourite character was her half feral dog; Joe.
Safety is good
January 13, 2016
Diamond Bay by Linda Howard is a 2016 Avon Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book was originally published back in 1987, but has been reissued in e book format.
Linda Howard is one of my very favorite romantic suspense authors. I have been reading her books for years and am so excited to see some of her backlisted titles being released in e book format.
“Diamond Bay” is the second book in the Kel Sabin series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Kel is the leader of a top secret intelligence agency, living a shadowy, dangerous life along with an elite team. While trying to take some down time, Kel suddenly finds himself under attack. Wounded, he manages to swim to an isolate beachfront, but if Rachel Jones had not seen him on the shores, he would most assuredly would have died.
Rachel is living a quiet life in Florida after her husband’s death, writing articles, and running a few gift shops. But, her life had been very different when she worked as an investigative reporter. However, it is that experience that tells her to keep Kel’s presence in her home a secret from the authorities. So, she nurses him back to health, not knowing a single thing about him, but quickly learns that people are looking for him, and they are not good guys.
Who is this beautiful man who has taken over her life? What are his secrets? Is he a hero or is he dangerous?
I loved this book the first time I read it, and found I liked just as much now, maybe even more! Kel Sabin is a wonderful hero. He’s dark, brooding, dangerous, and sex on a stick. Rachel is a smart woman who feels deeply, and is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the man she loves, against all odds.
The plot is dark and tense, very suspenseful, with a high octane ending. This is the quintessential romantic suspense format that made it my favorite romance trope, then and now.
Often times, contemporary or romantic suspense novels written in the eighties or nineties do not translate well when they are read in modern times. But, this book has managed to stay relevant without the dated quality many reissues suffer from. I can only think of one occasion when a word was used that was a dead giveaway to the time frame the book was written in. One may notice the lack of computers, cell phones, and social media, but as I re-read this book, I didn’t even miss those aspects. This book is just a solid, suspenseful, steamy, romantic suspense novel, proving Ms. Howard’s talent can transcend time and generations of readers.
Which, lead me into the future. This e-book gives readers a sample chapter of Linda Howard’s new romantic suspense novel- “Troublemaker” slated for release in the summer of 2016. So, even if you read this book back in the day, this would be a great time to re-read it, and for those haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it and hope you will love it as much as I do!
This book was originally published back in 1987, but has been reissued in e book format.
Linda Howard is one of my very favorite romantic suspense authors. I have been reading her books for years and am so excited to see some of her backlisted titles being released in e book format.
“Diamond Bay” is the second book in the Kel Sabin series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Kel is the leader of a top secret intelligence agency, living a shadowy, dangerous life along with an elite team. While trying to take some down time, Kel suddenly finds himself under attack. Wounded, he manages to swim to an isolate beachfront, but if Rachel Jones had not seen him on the shores, he would most assuredly would have died.
Rachel is living a quiet life in Florida after her husband’s death, writing articles, and running a few gift shops. But, her life had been very different when she worked as an investigative reporter. However, it is that experience that tells her to keep Kel’s presence in her home a secret from the authorities. So, she nurses him back to health, not knowing a single thing about him, but quickly learns that people are looking for him, and they are not good guys.
Who is this beautiful man who has taken over her life? What are his secrets? Is he a hero or is he dangerous?
I loved this book the first time I read it, and found I liked just as much now, maybe even more! Kel Sabin is a wonderful hero. He’s dark, brooding, dangerous, and sex on a stick. Rachel is a smart woman who feels deeply, and is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the man she loves, against all odds.
The plot is dark and tense, very suspenseful, with a high octane ending. This is the quintessential romantic suspense format that made it my favorite romance trope, then and now.
Often times, contemporary or romantic suspense novels written in the eighties or nineties do not translate well when they are read in modern times. But, this book has managed to stay relevant without the dated quality many reissues suffer from. I can only think of one occasion when a word was used that was a dead giveaway to the time frame the book was written in. One may notice the lack of computers, cell phones, and social media, but as I re-read this book, I didn’t even miss those aspects. This book is just a solid, suspenseful, steamy, romantic suspense novel, proving Ms. Howard’s talent can transcend time and generations of readers.
Which, lead me into the future. This e-book gives readers a sample chapter of Linda Howard’s new romantic suspense novel- “Troublemaker” slated for release in the summer of 2016. So, even if you read this book back in the day, this would be a great time to re-read it, and for those haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it and hope you will love it as much as I do!
April 26, 2016
Sometimes it's nice to slip back into an "oldie, but goodie" from Linda Howard. Although more romance than suspense, Diamond Bay delivers the characters and plot that made Linda Howard a household name.
I liked both of the primary characters (Kell and Rachel) and thought LH did a good job developing them and their scenario. One of my favorite aspects of LH is that she develops strong female characters and Rachel was heroine worthy.
The secondary cast was small but decently developed and you get to see Jane and Grant from the previous book in the Rescue Series aka the Kell Sapin Series.
I would have liked more suspense at the end as it was wrapped up rather quickly and I think LH would have delivered more if it had been written later in her career.
I'm re-reading this series and really enjoying it.
I liked both of the primary characters (Kell and Rachel) and thought LH did a good job developing them and their scenario. One of my favorite aspects of LH is that she develops strong female characters and Rachel was heroine worthy.
The secondary cast was small but decently developed and you get to see Jane and Grant from the previous book in the Rescue Series aka the Kell Sapin Series.
I would have liked more suspense at the end as it was wrapped up rather quickly and I think LH would have delivered more if it had been written later in her career.
I'm re-reading this series and really enjoying it.
December 30, 2015
4,5
me ha encantado. La sencillez de Rachel y la dureza de Kell...
Me ha enamorado Diamond Bay.
La aparición de Grant y Jane, ayyy me encantan.
me ha encantado. La sencillez de Rachel y la dureza de Kell...
Me ha enamorado Diamond Bay.
La aparición de Grant y Jane, ayyy me encantan.
April 14, 2017
Kell terluka parah, pingsan dan terdampar di Diamond Bay. Untunglah dia ditolong oleh Rachel, janda yg menyepi di daerah tsb. Setelah siuman, Kell menyadari dia mulai menyukai Rachel dan rasanya tidak adil melibatkan janda muda ini ke lingkup bahaya yg selalu diarunginya. Apalagi Rachel scr terang-terangan mengatakan selalu mencintainya. Dan saat Kell sudah memutuskan utk meninggalkan Rachel, tiba-tiba hal yg tak terduga menimpa mereka.
Novel ini kebanyakan narasi terutama di pertengahan awal buku. Saya suka pd saat Rachel berjuang menarik Kell yg 40 kg lebih berat dari dirinya dibantu oleh anjing setianya. Tetapi sejak Kell siuman, karakter Rachel berubah seperti wanita haus belaian laki-laki. Rachel terus-menerus mencamkan dia mencintai Kell, pdhl Kell tidak menjanjikan apapun pd dirinya.
Utk unsur suspense-nya juga kurang kuat di novel ini, tetapi saya masih bisa memaklumi krn novel ini dibuat tahun 1987. Dan dgn selesainya saya membaca novel ini, kelar juga saya membaca seri buku ini. Entah kenapa seri buku ini kurang menggugah minat saya.
Novel ini kebanyakan narasi terutama di pertengahan awal buku. Saya suka pd saat Rachel berjuang menarik Kell yg 40 kg lebih berat dari dirinya dibantu oleh anjing setianya. Tetapi sejak Kell siuman, karakter Rachel berubah seperti wanita haus belaian laki-laki. Rachel terus-menerus mencamkan dia mencintai Kell, pdhl Kell tidak menjanjikan apapun pd dirinya.
Utk unsur suspense-nya juga kurang kuat di novel ini, tetapi saya masih bisa memaklumi krn novel ini dibuat tahun 1987. Dan dgn selesainya saya membaca novel ini, kelar juga saya membaca seri buku ini. Entah kenapa seri buku ini kurang menggugah minat saya.
March 25, 2014
Decent story. Reread. This one was okay but not one of my favorites from Linda Howard. Still it was fairly solid. I think mostly I felt that Kell Sabin could have been developed more in depth. It seemed to lack a bit of tension between the two leads. Plus John Rafferty's arrival was a bit of a deus ex machine. Not bad, just not a favorite for me.
April 23, 2017
4 stars.
This is the second book in Linda Howard's vintage Kell Sabin/Rescue series. Despite the really dangerously stupid and unrealistic action the heroine took to rescue the hero, the rest of the book is really good romantic suspense. Jane, the heroine from the first book, makes a memorable cameo.
This is the second book in Linda Howard's vintage Kell Sabin/Rescue series. Despite the really dangerously stupid and unrealistic action the heroine took to rescue the hero, the rest of the book is really good romantic suspense. Jane, the heroine from the first book, makes a memorable cameo.
September 9, 2013
Have this one ready after you read MIDNIGHT RAINBOW. This is Kell Sabin's story. I especially enjoyed that characters from MR were included in the plot.
December 1, 2021
All the stars in the sky!
Because this book deserves them all.
Soooo freaking good!
Dunno why I started reading this series from b4, I really don't remember. But I love each book more and more. And when I finally read b1, I'll read them all over again, just in the right order.
Because there's nobody else who can tell you a story the way Linda Howard can.
And for that reason, I'll love her forever and will read everything she writes!
Because this book deserves them all.
Soooo freaking good!
Dunno why I started reading this series from b4, I really don't remember. But I love each book more and more. And when I finally read b1, I'll read them all over again, just in the right order.
Because there's nobody else who can tell you a story the way Linda Howard can.
And for that reason, I'll love her forever and will read everything she writes!
July 10, 2025
3.5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟
February 12, 2025
4.5 stars
Diamond Bay begins with a bang, quite literally. While on vacation, Kell gets attacked and gets severely injured. He makes it to shore, where Rachel Jones takes him in and nurses him back to health. The suspense aspect of the book is pretty low key. The people who tried to kill Kell are looking for his body, not knowing that he's still alive. Diamond Bay is not as action-packed as Midnight Rainbow; the action only happens in the beginning and in the end. But I really liked it despite the low key suspense. Rachel and Kell are more serious as a couple. There's quite a bit of angst because Kell's job is dangerous and prevents him from having a normal relationship with Rachel. Their romance is super intense and sexy. In contrast to Rachel and Kell, Jane and Grant are more fun, mostly Jane LOL. But I love both couples! And I love that Jane and Grant made an appearance in this book. It was so interesting to see the contrast between the two couples.
"'I love you,' he said harshly. 'I've never loved anyone before in my life, not my parents, any of my relatives, or even my wife. I've always been alone, different from everyone else. The only friend I've ever had is Sullivan, and he's as much of a lobo as I am. Do you really think I could sacrifice you? Sweet hell, woman, you're my one chance in a lifetime–' He broke off, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he stared at her. 'And I don't dare take it,' he finished quietly."After finishing Midnight Rainbow, I had to read Diamond Bay right away because, hellooooo, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome who doesn't smile much and is shrouded in mystery. Kell Sabin is a classic Linda Howard hero and oufff he is so sexy, I can't even deal. Kell Sabin has always been emotionally aloof. He wasn't a noisy or laughing child. He was always silent and solitary and he even held himself aloof from his parents. And that's exactly why he's such an intense lover.
He was too intense ever to love casually, lightly, to play the game of romance over and over. His emotional distance had been a defense, but Rachel had shattered it, and it hurt. God, how it hurt.And it is his emotional aloofness that made him perfect for his job as an agent tangled deep in intelligence–an emotionless soldier, so to speak.
Diamond Bay begins with a bang, quite literally. While on vacation, Kell gets attacked and gets severely injured. He makes it to shore, where Rachel Jones takes him in and nurses him back to health. The suspense aspect of the book is pretty low key. The people who tried to kill Kell are looking for his body, not knowing that he's still alive. Diamond Bay is not as action-packed as Midnight Rainbow; the action only happens in the beginning and in the end. But I really liked it despite the low key suspense. Rachel and Kell are more serious as a couple. There's quite a bit of angst because Kell's job is dangerous and prevents him from having a normal relationship with Rachel. Their romance is super intense and sexy. In contrast to Rachel and Kell, Jane and Grant are more fun, mostly Jane LOL. But I love both couples! And I love that Jane and Grant made an appearance in this book. It was so interesting to see the contrast between the two couples.
"He loved her more than he'd known a human being could love; he'd never loved before, but when he'd fallen, he'd gone over hard. It pervaded his bone and tissue; he was never allowed to forget even for a moment. When he slept it was with the memory of holding her in his arms, but more often, he lay awake, his body hard and aching for her softness to surround him.Overall, a solid and memorable Linda Howard book. I'm excited to read the rest of the Rescue series. I'm assuming that the last two books are probably connected to each other, but not to Midnight Rainbow and Diamond Bay.
March 15, 2017
**2.5 stars**
Even though I sort of enjoyed Diamond Bay, too many improbably things happened for me to rate it higher.
1. Rachel finds Kell injured in the beach and instead of calling 911, she immediately assumes he's a secret agent. O_0
2. Even though Kell's escape from death was miraculous (he was shot and dumped in the middle of the ocean) the villains assume he's alive (assuming that he was able to swim injured for miles instead of drowning of being eaten by a shark) and then IMMEDIATLY focus on Rachel, like he couldn't have landed anywhere else.
3. Rachel falls in love with Kell almost immediately, even though the guy is unconscious for a good chunk of the time they're together.
4. Super agent Kell is caught with his pants down but is saved by Rachel's neighbor, who brings his ranch hands to subdue the very well trained villains.
The narration wasn't as bad as the first book - Rachel sounded like a grown woman.
Overall, definitely not the best book in this series. You can feel free to skip it and enjoy the rest.
Even though I sort of enjoyed Diamond Bay, too many improbably things happened for me to rate it higher.
1. Rachel finds Kell injured in the beach and instead of calling 911, she immediately assumes he's a secret agent. O_0
2. Even though Kell's escape from death was miraculous (he was shot and dumped in the middle of the ocean) the villains assume he's alive (assuming that he was able to swim injured for miles instead of drowning of being eaten by a shark) and then IMMEDIATLY focus on Rachel, like he couldn't have landed anywhere else.
3. Rachel falls in love with Kell almost immediately, even though the guy is unconscious for a good chunk of the time they're together.
4. Super agent Kell is caught with his pants down but is saved by Rachel's neighbor, who brings his ranch hands to subdue the very well trained villains.
The narration wasn't as bad as the first book - Rachel sounded like a grown woman.
Overall, definitely not the best book in this series. You can feel free to skip it and enjoy the rest.
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